Hikaru Aimi
by PNGW1N-1
Summary: What happens when you feel useless? You make yourself stronger. This is a story where Kagome learns to fight back.
1. Chapter 1-The Shift

Hey guys. First fan fic here so go easy on me. But not too easy, constructive criticism is always welcome

Chapter 1- The Shift

"I told you not to do that."

"Well how was I supposed to know that would happen?!"

"If you would have listened to me for once maybe this could have been avoided!"

Sango, Miroku, and Shippo sat in a hut drinking tea. Right outside, Kagome and Inuyasha can be heard bickering as usual.

"Should one of us go out there and tell them the food is ready?" asked Miroku casually.

"I'm sure they'll figured it out." Replied Shippo, "Besides, if they miss out, it's their own fault. More for us!" Shippo grabs a stick with a sizzling salmon and begins to chow down.

"I think I'll go check on them. It's too quiet now." Said Sango. She set her tea down and walked out of the hut. Inuyasha and Kagome were nowhere to be seen. She began to worry when all of a sudden Kirara appears in full grown form.

"What's wrong Kirara? Where are Inuyasha and Kagome?" The cat growled and looked in the direction she had come from. "Come on, let's go" Said Sango, and she hopped on Kirara's back after grabbing her weapon. They flew high in the air until Sango saw below, in a large clearing, Inuyasha was batting off a huge centipede demon. They landed nearby and Sango Shouted, "Inuyasha! Are you alright? Where did that Demon come from?!"

Inuyasha yelled back, "Kagome sensed a tainted jewel shard and we were ambushed by this thing." Kagome was a few feet away.

"Be careful Inuyasha!" She yelled as the centipede demon struck. Inuyasha dodged at the last second and while in the air he swung his Tetsuiaga, releasing the windscar.

The beast disintegrated, but not before getting in one last hit. It struck Inuyasha with its sharp teeth, leaving a gaping wound on his arm. Kagome ran to him as he crouched on the ground, clutching his arm.

"Inuyasha! You're badly injured. We need to get you back to the hut and fix you up." Kagome began to gently pull him up.

"I'm fine." He waived her away. "I can handle this." Then he quickly crumpled back down, still holding his arm.

"You're not fine! You're losing too much blood. Sango can you please give me a hand?" said Kagome.

"Sure thing" replied Sango, she brought Kirara over and with combined efforts they got Inuyasha on the large cats' back. "He's passed out. Kagome, ride with Inuyasha back to the hut and take care of him. I'll go grab that jewel shard and meet you back there."

"Okay, but be careful. That shard is tainted."

"Don't worry about me. Just make sure you two stay safe." Kirara flew off in the direction of the hut. It was a short flight and as soon as they landed Kagome called out to Miroku.

"Hey, can you help me carry Inuyasha?" Miroku ran out to help. As they carried Inuyasha and set him down he asked,

"What happened to him?"

"The usual, he got injured trying to protect me, but he was too stubborn to let it show." Kagome torn Inuyahsa's blood soaked sleeve and began attending to the wound. A somber expression came over her face. About 20 minutes later Sango arrived with the tainted Jewel shard. Inuyasha and Shippo were resting peacefully while Kagome poked the fire.

"Hey Kagome, how's he doing?" Said Sango nodding to Inuyasha.

"He's asleep. No doubt he'll be back to normal tomorrow morning." Kagome replied.

"That's good." Sango brought out a folded cloth and handed it to Kagome. "Here's the Jewel shard. Where did Miroku go?" Kagome took out the tiny bottle containing the shards they had collected and dropped the new one in, instantly purifying it.

"He went out to get more firewood" said Kagome simply. Just then, Sango felt the tension in the room and noticed that Kagome was not her usual cheerful self. No doubt Miroku had sensed this and came up with an excuse to leave the room. After all, there was already plenty of firewood.

"Hey Kagome, are you feeling alright?" asked Sango with concern. Realizing she had been zoning out, Kagome shook her head and smiled at Sango.

"I'm totally fine." She lied, "Just lost in my own thoughts I guess." She turned away and started digging through her yellow bag. Sango could tell that something was bugging Kagome and she was worried that Kagome didn't feel ready to confide in her about it. Kagome pulled out a sleeping bag. "I'm actually pretty tired," she yawned to exaggerate "I'm going to get some rest." She turned away from Sango.

"Well alright, as long as you're okay." Sango began to eat the fish that was left to her, as she waited for Miroku to return.

The next Day seemed to come swiftly.

"I never asked you to help me!"

"Well fine then, the next time you're injured I guess I'll just let you bleed out."

The group awoke to the familiar sounds of bickering.

"Looks like they're at it again." Said Miroku as he sat up rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Why don't they just get married already." Said Shippo sarcastically, still half asleep. Sango got up and went to see through the door of the hut.

"I don't know guys, this time it seems serious." Sango stepped outside to see if she could stop them from killing each other.

"Inuyasha you're such an idiot!" Kagome stared at the ground, "You get seriously injured trying to protect me, and I can't even do anything to return the favor." Her voice waivered. Inuyasha's scowl softened.

"I'm supposed to protect you, idiot." He said looking away calmly. Kagome's head shot up, there were tears in her angry eyes.

"Well I'm tired of it!" she yelled, wiping her eyes. "Inuyasha I want to learn how to fight. If anything ever happened to you I couldn't forgive myself."

"No way! It's too dangerous." He replied. "Nothing's ever going to happen to me, so quit worrying. I said I will always protect you and nothing is going to change that."

"You can protect me, but I want to be able to protect myself. And eventually I can protect you too." Kagome argued.

"I said no and that's final!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome became calm. A small smile spread on her face. She looked at Inuyasha and very sweetly said,

"Inuyasha," then her face became dark, "Sit Boy!" She yelled. Inuyasha was instantly face planted. "Hey Sango, I'm going to borrow Kirara for a bit okay." Kirara had grown to her full sized and Kagome hopped on her back.

"Sure, but where are you going?" Asked Sango. Inuyasha had painstakingly pulled himself off the ground.

"Where else would she be going." He said, "She's running back home like she always does when we fight." Kagome and Kirara had taken off and Inuyasha yelled after her, "Fine! Go home, see if I care!"

"SIT BOY!" Inuyasha's face returned to the ground as Kagome got farther away.

"She's not going in the direction of the well Inuyasha." Said Sango, a little worried.

So where is Kagome going?


	2. Chapter 2- The Solution

Chapter 2- The Solution

As Kagome rode on Kirara, a mix of emotions washed over her. She was upset that Inuyasha didn't understand. She was torn because she felt useless. But most of all, she was confused, because she had no idea where she was going. Her destination was clear to her, but she did not know where to start. All of a sudden, a new feeling came upon her. Pain.

SMACK!

A tiny insect floated from her neck.

"Myoga, what are you doing here?" she asked the cowardly flea.

"Uh, hi Kagome! I was just, uh, taking a nap here on Kirara when I was awoken by a sudden breeze. Then I was swept away onto your sweet delicate neck." He explained. He hopped and found a cozy spot to sit behind one of Kirara's ears.

"Hey Myoga, maybe you can give me some advice since you're here." Kagome said, while looking around at the vast forest they flew over.

"I would be happy to be of service my dear. What seems to ail you?" he asked.

"Well, I need to learn how to fight, but I'm not sure where to start." Kagome replied.

"Why would you need to learn that? Did Inuyasha die?" the flea inquired.

"No, he's fine. I just want to be able to protect myself." She said with certainty.

"Well if you're going to learn how to fight, you will need a weapon." Kagome looked directly at Myoga.

"I left my bow and arrows back in the village." She imagined Inuyashas' reaction if she returned to them. "I can't go back there yet."

"Well maybe you can find a new weapon to master." Said the flea, only half paying attention now. Kagome thought over what he said for a moment and then she got an idea.

"Myoga that's it!" she exclaimed. Myoga, surprised at her excitement was wide awake again.

"What's it? What did I say?" He asked.

"Myoga this is important. Do you know where I can find master Totosai?" Myoga just blinked in reply. "Come on, you know where he lives right?"

"Well, I do….but…." he stalled.

"What? Where is it?" asked Kagome impatiently.

"It's not the safest place for humans. I don't recommend you going to see him." He answered.

"I don't care. If he can forge a sword for me, I can begin learning how to fight with my own power." She said matter of fact.

"But it's dangerous!" Kagome just glared at him until he gave in. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. Come on Kirara, Totosai is this way."

It was mid-day when they arrived at Totosai's home. It was a grey and clouded area. The remains of a giant fish-like creature had smoke coming out of the mouth and eye sockets. Kagome began to feel wary, but she was determined.

"Master Totosai!" She yelled, "Are you in there? I need to speak with you!" The smoke subsided from the mouth of the creature and a hoarse voice replies.

"What!? Who's there? If you want my legs you'll have to rip 'em off my cold dead body." Totosai came out swinging a half finished sword. It hadn't finished setting yet, so as the old man swung, the blade melted over to the side. "Aw dangit. Blast this old thing, I'm never going to get it to work." Having almost been hit with a wimpy weapon, Kagome placed herself directly in front of Totosai.

"Master Totosai, it's me, Kagome. I need your help." She said directly.

"Oh, Kagome. Well why didn't you day it was you? I almost lopped yer head off." (Not). "What can I do for you? Here, come inside."

The two of them went inside, followed briefly by a smaller Kirara with Myoga still behind her ear. Totosai sat down and set the blade he held on a nearby rock that had been blackened by fire.

"So what's the matter, did Inuyasha break his sword again, but he's too cowardly to come himself? Guessed Totosai.

"Inuyasha doesn't know I'm here. The Tetsuiaga is fine." Replied Kagome. Totosai blew fire from his mouth onto the sword and he began to hit it with a hammer, straightening it out again. "I came here to ask you to forge me a sword." There was a loud clang that echoed throughout the cave like structure as Totosai stopped his hammer.

"You what?" He asked. "Why would you need a sword? The Tetsuiaga was meant to protect all humans."

"I understand, but I wish to learn how to protect myself, and in order to do that, I need a sword of my own." Said Kagome.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Totosai began his with his hammer again. Kagome sat nearby. "I've been looking for a new project. You see this sword I currently have is worthless. I started forging it with no purpose, therefore it has no power. I suppose I could melt it down and start over with a little inspiration from you." Kagome smiled.

"You mean it? You'll really forge a sword for me?" Kagome clapped her hands together with hope.

"It's not that simple." Said Totosai, deflating Kagome's enthusiasm. "For me to forge a powerful sword for a specific person, I need something from that person."

"What do you need? I can go get supplies." Said Kagome quickly. She turned toward Kirara, then felt a sharp pain at the back of her head. "Ow! What was that for?" She turned back to Totosai to see that he had yanked a few strands of her hair out.

"These should do the trick." He then blew a white hot fire at the sword, melting it down to a silvery puddle. As the metal boiled, he dropped the strands of hair into it, then blew a slightly cooler blue fire on the mess. "This is going to take a while. Would you mind going out and finding us some dinner Kagome?"

"Sure, no problem." She was fascinated by the process, and she wanted to help out where she could. "Hey Kirara, let's go." The cat grew to her larger size and stretched. The little flea on her fur hopped down.

"I think I'll stay here Kagome." Said Myoga. "I'd like to catch up with old Totosai."

"Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can." Then Kagome and Kirara flew off in search of a nearby village. When she was a speck in the distance, Myoga approached Totosai.

"Are you really going to make her a sword master Totosai? What if she gets injured trying to use it? Inuyasha would not be happy with you." He said.

"That look in her eye. If I didn't make her a sword, she would have gone somewhere else. Isn't it better that she carried a weapon built specifically for her, then to go off blindly with some other random sword?" replied Totosai.

"Hm, I guess." Said Myoga. Silence fell over the cave as Totosai continued his work.

Kagome found a village near the edge of the mountainside. She saw a group of people working in a nearby field and decided to ask for some food from them.

"Excuse me." She approached the villagers. "I'm just passing through and was wondering if you guys had any spare food." They people looked at her like she just spat acid at them. A man replied,

"Are you kidding? We barley have enough for ourselves. Why don't you bug someone else? The only way to get food in this place is if you work for it." He huffed and continued his work.

"I guess there's no other choice." She said quietly. Then she yelled after the man, "Is there work I can do here?" The man turned back to her.

"Listen kid. If you want work try talking to the head of the village. He's in the house at the end of the road."

"Thank you" Kagome ran off in the direction the man pointed her in. When she got to the house it appeared to be abandoned. "Hello?" she called out. "Is anybody home?" There was a clatter inside and the door slowly opened. A short, elderly woman answered,

"Yes, what do you want?"

"Hi, I'm just passing through, and I need some food. The men down the road said I could talk to the head of the village about finding work to get food. Is there anything I can help out with?" said Kagome quickly. It was getting dark. The old woman scratched her head.

"Are you a priestess?" She asked. Kagome wasn't sure how to answer.

"Well, I suppose so." She said. The woman pointed to the mountain.

"Over near the mountain there is a cave. It used to be a shrine but now some demon is defiling it. If you can take care of this demon and return the shrine to its natural state, I will give you some food."

"Sure thing. I can do that." Said Kagome nervously. Kirara jumped into her arms making her feel a little better.

"Wait one moment," the woman retreated back inside the house and came back moments later with a shimmering white rock. "This stone should aid you in defeating the demon." She handed it to Kagome and said, "Good luck" then she slammed the door shut.

Kagome turned toward the mountain and sighed. "Well, I better get started. I want to return before it gets too dark."

They found the cave easily. Walking cautiously, Kagome held Kirara in one arm, and a lit torch in her other hand. It wasn't long until they found the shrine. There were bones scattered everywhere around it. Kagome set Kirara down so she could take a closer look at the shrine. So far there was no demon, but she did sense some sacred jewel shards. Just then, there was a sliding noise behind, Kirara grew to her full size and growled as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

Who is it?


	3. Chapter 3- The Sword

Chapter 3- The Sword

"Hey Kagome, what are you doing in these parts? I don't smell that mutt around, are you by yourself?"

Shocked to hear a familiar voice, Kagome breathed a sigh of relief as Kouga appeared from the shadows.

"Hey Kouga." Said Kagome, "I decided to go off on my own for a bit, and somehow Kirara and I wound up here. What are you doing here?"

"I've been camping out here for the last couple of months, hunting and what not." Replied Kouga. He walked closer to her. Then Kagome realized something.

"So you're the demon who defiled this shrine." She pointed at the bones littering the ground. Kouga stopped and a nervous expression crossed his face.

"Well, I killed every other demon I found here." He said looking away. Kagome sighed and began kicking all the bones away from the shrine, dusting it off. "What are you doing?"

"I was sent here to purify this shrine and get it back to its natural state." She said simply. All of a sudden there was a fast whirlwind, and Kagome shielded her eyes. When she opened them, the cave was clean, every trace that there had been a demon was gone.

"How's that?" asked Kouga, spinning back to her side.

"Thank you, Kouga." She said happily. He grabbed her hands and she flinched. A nervous smile on her face.

"I would do anything for you Kagome, I hope you know that." Said Koga as he looked deeply in her eyes.

"I appreciate that Kouga." Replied Kagome as she pulled away. "Well I should really get going. Its dark out, and Kirara and I have a ways to go." She started to walk out of the cave and Kouga followed.

"Where are you going?" he asked, "Do you need any more help?" Kagome wondered what Kouga's reaction would be if she told him the reason she was on her own. Would he try to stop her like Inuyasha?

"I'm visiting an old friend, so you don't need to worry. If you could do me a small favor and leave this particular cave alone, that would be very helpful" Said Kagome. "Thanks again. I'll see you around" then she ran off toward the village without waiting for a reply.

Kagome arrived at the house of the head of the village and a thought crossed her mind. When she came earlier, she didn't see him, but was sent away by that old woman. She knocked on the door three times. There was scuffling and then the same old woman answered the door.

"Hello young lady, is there something I can help you with?" said the old woman.

"Oh, I was here earlier, looking for work. I'm the um, Priestess who you sent to purify the shrine in that cave." Kagome pointed toward the mountain.

"That's right, I nearly forgot." The old woman turned back into the house and returned with a package. "Here you are my dear."

"Thank you, and may I ask where the head of the village is?"

The old lady replied kindly, "He's resting my dear. Always resting." Then she slammed the door shut. Kagome thought this was odd but she got what she came there for.

"Come on Kirara, let's head back." Said Kagome and they flew off, unaware that they were being followed.

It had been a whole day since Kagome ran off, and Sango was beginning to get worried. The group sat around the hut eating the ninja snacks Kagome had brought for them on her last trip home. Inuyasha was turned away from the group tapping his toes repeatedly.

"Inuyasha," Sango broke the uncomfortable silence, "Don't you think you should head after her?" Inuyasha turned to her, clear irritation on his face.

"No." he said stubbornly. "I'm tired of always having to chase after her whenever she gets mad." He turned away and the tapping sped up.

"But Inuyasha, she did not head in the direction of the well. And if she had gone home, Kirara would be back by now. I'm worried about them." Said Sango. Inuyasha jumped up, startling Sango.

"I'm going to go get firewood." He said angrily then he stormed out. Sango looked in the corner of the hut.

"But we still have plenty of firewood." She said to herself. She smiled because she knew Inuyasha would bring Kagome back.

When Kagome returned to Totosai's, she began to prepare the food immediately. Every now and then she glanced over to take a peek at what he was doing.

"Something is missing." He mumbled to himself. "Hey girl, what's that you've got in your pocket?"

"My pocket?" Kagome felt the inner pocket of her green skirt. She had almost forgotten about the stone the old lady had given her to ward off the demon. She didn't have to use it after all. When Totosai saw the stone, his eyes lit up.

"It's perfect. Just what I need." Kagome handed the stone to Totosai and he began blow white hot fire onto it. Moments later, Kagome had finished preparing the food and they all took a break to eat. When they finished eating, Totosai looked outside. "I won't be finished with this for a while, you should get some rest Kagome."

"Alright." She replied, she curled up on the cold ground, mentally kicking herself for forgetting to bring her sleeping bag. It was difficult for her to fall asleep with all her thoughts swirling around in her mind. That's and Totosai's hammer clanging every 5th second did not help, but eventually her mind drifted and she found herself dreaming.

 _Soft and swift footsteps echoed off the ground. Kagome was running. From what, she couldn't remember. All of a sudden, she tripped over a rock, landing on her hands and knees, scraping them up pretty badly. The footsteps grew louder and closer. Kagome stood and dared to take a peek behind. A shadowy figure was running towards her, sword in hand. She began to back away, but her feet began to sink into what seemed to be quicksand. Struggling to get back to solid ground, she found herself falling over again, this time, her hands getting stuck in the mucky ground. She couldn't pull herself free and she began to panic. She wanted to scream out for help but her voice refused work. She looked up to see the figure had caught up to her and was glaring down at her. She was shocked to see that it was herself that stood in front of her as she sank lower into the ground._

 _"You're weak." Said the reflection of herself. "You will always need protection from someone else, and nothing you do will change that." Then the figure of herself raised her sword and slashed down._

Kagome woke up screaming. She looked around for the figure of herself but soon realized that it was only a dream. She wiped the sweat from her brow and heard a familiar purr as Kirara went over to comfort her.

"It was only a dream." She tried reassuring herself. But some small part of her felt unsure. The darkness was barley fading as she rose to see where master Totosai had gone. She couldn't find him anywhere, so she decided to explore the area. A little fresh air and a walk to shake the uncertainties that dream had left her. A small Kirara walked by her side, every now and then chasing the insects on the ground. Kagome was completely lost in thought, and did not notice a rustle in the trees around her. All of a sudden, a blur of black feathers swiped passed her arm, leaving a cut that started to bleed. Kagome gasped and began looking around furiously for her attacker.

"Give me the Sacred Jewel Shards!" A harsh voice cried out, and another blur of black feathers swiped passed her legs, causing her to fall over.

"Who are you!" she called out. Kirara had fallen behind and Kagome was on her own. The assailant revealed themselves to be a giant black bird with four blood red eyes. Kagome stood, ignoring the pain in her legs, to face her opponent. Blood dripped to the ground as she clenched her injured arm.

"I want the sacred Jewel shards!" screeched the bird as it began to swoop down for another attack. Kagome felt completely helpless, she had no way to protect herself so she closed her eyes and waited for her demise. She waited but an attack did not come. There was a horrible screech from the bird, and Kagome opened her eyes to see Kouga, the wolf demon had shredded the bird to pieces with his claws. He stood casually in front of her and smirked.

"Hey Kagome, are you alright." He walked forward, stopping about two feet in front of her. Kagome felt tears sting at her eyes and she fell to her knees.

"What is wrong with me?" she whispered. Kouga knelt down next to her, the calm expression completely wiped off his face, replaced with a look of concern. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

"What's bothering you Kagome?" he asked seriously. "When we met yesterday I could tell something was wrong so I followed you. Why are you out here by yourself?" Kagome looked Kouga straight in the eyes and decided to tell him the truth.

"I'm tired of being protected. I want to learn how to fight so I can protect myself, and maybe then I can protect those who are closest to me." She said. "I came out here by myself to request a sword from master Totosai." Kouga laughed and Kagome became a little irritated. "What's so funny!" she yelled, pushing him away.

"That's quite a noble cause," he continued to chuckle "but you don't have to be so serious." He stood and offered Kagome a hand. She turned away and pulled herself up.

"Of course I do." She said sternly. "I can't always rely on others to save me at the last minute like you just did." Then she began to chuckle to herself. "I'm such an idiot. I didn't even say thank you." She looked back at Kouga. "I appreciate your help, but I really need to start fending for myself. Would you be willing to help me with that Kouga?"

"Honestly I think it's a great idea. Everyone in my pack works together to become stronger. And when you join us I think it would be best if you could keep up." He said with a confident smile.

"Kouga, I never said anything about joining your pack." Kagome began to walk back toward Totosai's place.

"Well once you leave that half-breed, I figure you'd want to hang out with a real man." Kouga quickly followed after her. Kirara came running into Kagome's arms with a worried Purr.

"I'm okay, Kirara." She said as she patted the demon cat. The rest of the walk was filled with silence. Kouga's arms were crossed and Kagome absent mindedly kept petting Kirara. When they finally got back to Totosai's place, there was a familiar smoke pattern coming out of the skeletal mouth of the cave. Kagome ran to the entrance, and shielding her eyes she went inside. "Master Totosai, are you back?" she asked, peering through the smoke.

"Who's that?" came a confused elderly voice as the smoke cleared.

"It's me, Kagome." She answered. "Where did you go off to this morning?" The question caught in her throat as the sight of a beautiful sword lay before her. The blade was a shining onyx color and the handle sparkles pure white. It was thin yet sturdy.

"Well, I'm just about finished with your sword Kagome, I had to grab a few more materials this morning, but it was worth it I think. Do you like it?" He asked. Kagome had no word to describe her gratitude so she settled with,

"It's perfect." Totosai looked away from his master piece and saw the wounds on Kagome.

"What happened to you?" he inquired.

"Oh, I was attacked in the forest earlier" she replied, having forgotten about the cuts on her arm and legs. They had already healed, "It's nothing to worry about they're just small scratches. I was saved by a good friend of mine who's waiting just outside.

"Well," he said sheathing the sword, "I wish you luck on your quest to defend yourself." Then he simply handed over the sword.

"What can I do to repay you master Totosai?" asked Kagome, feeling this was almost too good to be true.

"Well, that sword of yours cannot be used to draw human blood. Great consequences will arise if it does. Protect the sword and I will be happy." He replied, then he nodded off. Kagome tip toed out of the cave, so she would not wake the sleeping man. She was met by Kouga and a large Kirara outside.

"You got your sword," said Kouga, "Now what?" Kagome unsheathed it to take in the majesty of it once more.

"Now, I learn how to use it." She said confidently, putting it back in its sheath and hopping onto Kirara's back.


End file.
